Feeding the Spirit: Food, Culture and Community

From Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign to the health section of the New York Times, the United States is reexamining its relationship to food on a public and national level. Tied into concerns over the American diet are issues of sustainability, specifically concerns about the way that we grow, distribute, and eat food. But as communities increasingly self-sort by politics, race, and culture, eating still remains an important way for humans to come together and explore commonalities. In Feeding the Spirit, Elizabeth E. Merritt reveals how modes of eating in America are tied into cultural and communal identities. Presenting case studies of institutions from botanic gardens to art museums, Feeding the Spirit makes the case that these cultural organizations have an important role to play in increased food literacy, enabling visitors to learn more about making values-based decisions about their own diets. This publication is an initiative of the American Alliance of Museums’ Center for the Future of Museums, which helps institutions track and respond to the trends that shape our communities.